CMA NOMINATIONS: BREAKING GROUND, GETTING IN STEP
With the first wave of nominations, the 53rd Country Music Association Awards is looking to push back against some of the obvious much-talked-about issues plaguing the format, if not the genre. Carrie Underwood—who co-hosts with the iconic firepower of Reba and Dolly Parton—returns to the Entertainer of the Year category, as well as being one of two women in Album of the Year.
Entertainer also boasts multiple winners Garth Brooks and Keith Urban, as well as the oft-awarded, critically heralded Chris Stapleton and Eric Church.
Maren Morris’ aptly named GIRL is the other femme-powered Album nominee, which has yielded the first #1 by a female in 18 months. Morris is the most-nominated performer, having secured noms in six categories with Brothers Osborne grabbing four and Eric Church, Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, Kacey Musgraves, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Scott Hendricks, Dann Huff, Greg Kurstin, Blake Shelton and Underwood nabbing three each.
Rounding out Album is perennial category favorite Church with Desperate Man, crossover powerhouses Dan + Shay with their self-titled full length and Thomas Rhett’s multiple-producer Center Point Road.
Musical Event answers the year’s biggest “Will they or won’t they?” with an unequivocally affirmative “Yes” for Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. And while it’s not Trent Reznor’s first CMA nod, it is for YoungKio, as the CMAs break more ground.
Joining the longest-running #1 in the category is the old-guard/new-guard matchup of Brooks & Dunn and hot/hot/hot Luke Combs for B&D’s breakout “Brand New Man,” Shelton and Brooks on “Dive Bar,” Morris featuring Brothers Osborne on “All My Favorite People” and Brantley Gilbert and Lindsey Ell’s “What Happens in a Small Town.”
And perhaps the most interesting of the four: New Artist. Two women—blue-collar songwriter Ashley McBryde and true country-leaning Carly Pearce—face off against Texas outlier Cody Johnson, mullet-sporting ’90s throwback Morgan Wallen and progressive/regressive country trio Midland, making it the most musically eclectic and singular group of nominees in years.
Given the focus on women being locked out of country airplay, the preponderance of similar-sounding artists, the slow death of bro-country and the increasing penetration of artists beyond the terrestrial-radio-driven industrial complex, this initial taste of the nominees suggests that Nashville’s not as out of step as America might think.
What happens with Song and Single, obviously, is the full litmus test. But it feels like the (perhaps) more conservative Country Music Association voting body has recognized the future for what it is—and is finding places at the table for artists America is responding to. In a world where the Associated Press writes stories about the very real possibility that “Old Town Road” could be shut out, this is progress, if not perfection.
The awards will be handed out 11/13 in Nashville and broadcast on ABC.
Read more of Holly's commentary in Music City
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Garth Brooks
Eric Church
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to artist, producer(s), and mix engineer)
“Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley f/Brothers Osborne
Producers: Ross Copperman, Jon Randall, Arturo Buenahora, Jr. Mix Engineer: F. Reid Shippen
“GIRL” – Maren Morris
Producer: Greg Kurstin Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
Producer: Scott Hendricks Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank
“Millionaire” – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton Mix Engineer: Vance Powell
“Speechless” – Dan + Shay
Producers: Dan Smyers, Scott Hendricks Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to artist and producers)
Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
Producers: Dann Huff, Jesse Frasure, Thomas Rhett, Julian Bunetta, The Stereotypes, Cleve Wilson
Cry Pretty – Carrie Underwood
Producers: David Garcia, Jim Jonsin, Carrie Underwood
Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay
Producers: Dan Smyers, Scott Hendricks
Desperate Man – Eric Church
Producers: Jay Joyce, Arturo Buenahora, Jr.
GIRL – Maren Morris
Producers: busbee, Maren Morris, Greg Kurstin
SONG OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to songwriter)
“Beautiful Crazy”
Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Robert Williford
“GIRL”
Maren Morris, Sarah Aarons, Greg Kurstin
“God’s Country”
Devin Dawson, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy
“Rainbow”
Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves
“Tequila”
Dan Smyers, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dierks Bentley
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Cody Johnson
Ashley McBryde
Midland
Carly Pearce
Morgan Wallen
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to artists and producer(s))
“All My Favorite People” – Maren Morris f/Brothers Osborne
Producers: Maren Morris, busbee
“Brand New Man” – Brooks & Dunn with Luke Combs
Producer: Dann Huff
“Dive Bar” – Garth Brooks & Blake Shelton
Producer: Garth Brooks
“Old Town Road (Remix)” – Lil Nas X f/Billy Ray Cyrus
Producers: YoungKio, Michael Trent Reznor, Atticus Matthew Ross
“What Happens in a Small Town” – Brantley Gilbert & Lindsay Ell
Producer: Dann Huff
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Jenee Fleenor, fiddle
Paul Franklin, steel guitar
Mac McAnally, guitar
Ilya Toshinsky, banjo/guitar
Derek Wells, guitar
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to artist(s) and director)
“Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley f/Brothers Osborne
Director: Wes Edwards
“GIRL” – Maren Morris
Director: Dave Meyers
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton Director: Sophie Muller
“Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves
Director: Hannah Lux Davis
“Some of It” – Eric Church
Director: Reid Long
